Lining up: Three declare for 14th District Congressional seat

November 2, 2011

Three Lee County residents have declared their intent to run for the 14th District Congressional seat to be vacated by Connie Mack.

Mack, a Republican, is planning to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Bill Nelson, a Democrat.

State Representative and Cape businessman Gary Aubuchon, Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall and Sanibel resident Chauncey Goss, son of former CIA head Porter Goss, have announced thus far.

Hall filed the necessary paperwork last week, while Goss and Aubuchon announced this week.

Hall said Wednesday that through use of an Exploratory Committee and travels throughout Southwest Florida gave her the encouragement and confidence to make a run for the seat.

"Talking to people all over Southwest Florida you start to identify where they're feeling under-represented," Hall said. "Many people are very frustrated, with the economy and a lot of issues."

Hall has served as a county commissioner for the last seven years.

Born in Wisconsin, Hall moved to Lee County in 1978 and worked for the City of Fort Myers, spending three years with the Fort Myers Downtown Redevelopment Agency and two years with the Department of Tourism and Marketing.

After leaving the City of Fort Myers, Hall started her own marketing and consulting firm.

Hall served in the Ward One Fort Myers City Council seat between 2000 - 2004 and won the District 4 County Commission seat in 2004. According to a press release, Hall was the first woman to serve as the chair for the Board of County Commissioners in its 119 year history.

Now Hall said she is ready to serve in Washington, D.C., where she said she plans to represent all the people of Southwest Florida and to keep the conservative vote in Congress.

"I think any time you make a change there's going to be challenges. It's a very large campaign, much different from a county commission campaign," Hall said. "But I have the support of people in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties. I'm passionate, committed and it will be a privilege to serve them in Washington."

Meanwhile, Gary Aubuchon announced his intent to run via press release on Wednesday and plans on having an official "kick off" announcement in the near future. He plans on laying out his platform at that time.

"I love our community and our nation and the current path we are traveling on is wrong. Washington needs leaders willing confront the status quo, hold true to their convictions and still affect positive change," he said in his announcement statement.

Chauncey Goss is looking to win the seat once held by his father Porter before his appointment as director of the CIA.

Goss said he is a free-market conservative and manages a business that helps his clients cut through government regulation, according to a press release.

"Southwest Florida has been hit particularly hard by Washington's poor decisions and we need people in Washington who will fight for common sense solutions to what often seem like insurmountable problems," Goss said in his statement.